Purge: Documenting the Labours of Penang’s Night Soil Workers

The story of how a group of dedicated and hardworking labourers contributed to the building of a city sewage system for nearly half a century. This is a part of history that people failed to speak about in the past, and had intended to forget in the present. Yet the blood, sweat, and unspeakable hardships of this group of people known as the night soil workers were poured into the very foundation of sanitation and urban development in the city. While respecting their wishes to protect their identities, this documentary, Purge: Documenting the Labours of Penang’s Night Soil Workers, aims to honour their past by unfolding the otherwise forgotten efforts of these labourers, and by following the trails and trials they once walked.

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The study conducted at Teoh Heng Kongsi began when construction was authorised to be carried out on the site of the hostel that the city council had originally set aside for the night soil workers. It then developed into a documentary to unearth the crucial role and cultural significance of the manual night soil system. The hope is that the interviews with the workers, their descendants, and the residents they served, as well as whatever historical relics, religious ceremonial records and related material that could be found, would all pay due respect to the night soil workers’ efforts and contribution to Penang’s public sanitation system.